Seaweed Cookies
by meksters
Summary: "I see it fitting that a sweet girl like you would be a mermaid." Caesar said smiling. "You should know that not all mermaids are as benevolent as you think, Caesar." Annie replied with a smirk. Or, Annie Cresta is far from the poor, mad girl everyone thinks she is. OR, Annie Cresta never saw her district partner beheaded in the arena. Not-so-kinda AU-ish
1. Reaping Day

**Title:** Seaweed Cookies  
**Characters:** Finnick Odair, Annie Cresta, Mags, some minor OC's, and Snow.  
**Pairings: **Odesta, and maybe others depending on how far this fic goes.  
**Rated: **T  
**Genres: **Action, Romance, Drama  
**Summary: **"I see it fitting that a sweet girl like you would be a mermaid." Caesar said smiling. "You should know that not all mermaids are as benevolent as you think." Annie replied with a smirk. Or, Annie Cresta is far from the poor little mad girl everyone thinks she is.  
**Disclaimer: **All rights go to Suzanne Collins. She owns the Hunger Games books and I only own my OC's.

* * *

The sound of waves crashing on the wet sand, the feel of the salt water mist, the colors of the sunset, and the fishing boats in the distance. Finnick takes it all in so as not to forget it. For all he knows, the next time Snow will let him see it will be weeks, even months, from now.

Sitting on the beach of District 4 helps him forget the faces of the children from his games, the sound of their screams, the feel of his trident impaling their bodies. Tears flow from his eyes sometimes and he never is sure when he started crying. It's summer and the air is hot and slightly humid but Finnick doesn't mind. The 70th games will be starting soon and he's not ready to be a mentor again. District 4 has a plethora of victors, not as extensive as 1 or 2, but a little less than half of their tributes are volunteers, and join the careers. He sometimes thinks of how things might have been before Panem, back when it was known by another name, to get his mind off things. As a child his mother told him how Panem used to be called the United States of America, and how district 4 is made up of places called "Texas", "Louisiana", "Mississippi", "Alabama", and "Florida". Those names sound much nicer than "District 4" to him.

"Finnick! FINNICK!" he hears a woman shouting his name. Not the first time, he thinks bitterly. This one, however, is not in pleasure, it's laced with irritation. Finnick turns to see his older sister, her strands of golden hair whipping around in the wind. He turns back to the ocean to see it has darkened and there are storm clouds in the distance.

"You are such an idiot." She says bumping into his shoulder when he reaches her. They walk back to their house on the victor's village. It's the color of the ocean on a calm day, and it's practically identical to the others, but each home has it's unique traits given to it by it's owners. The home of the Odairs has a statue of a seahorse as a mailbox. Mags' home is way on the other side of the island since she is the oldest victor in 4, and has nets on the awning above the door, and on the shutters.

"There's a storm coming and you are just sitting by the water staring out into the clouds." His sister says disbelievingly.

"It helps." He says.

"With?" She asks with sympathy.

"Memories." with that one word she takes him into her arms, the five inch height difference disregarded, and rests her head against his chest, comforting her brother. Finnick hugs back, and remembers his mother when he would have nightmares as a child, comforting him back to sleep. He sees so much of his mother in his sister, the blonde hair, green eyes, the caring nature with some impatience, and definitely the stubbornness.

"I'm fine now, Marina." He tells her with a smile. She can tell it's not genuine but doesn't push because she hasn't been through the things he has, and doesn't quite know what to say to make it better. She only hugs him and comforts him in ways with which words she could never do. She makes those seaweed cookies that have put a smile on his face for the past twelve years, she takes him swimming everyday, gives him sugarcubes, and she forces him to dance with her in the rain, both laughing and jumping around in two minutes tops.

When he needs words, she gives him words. When he needs actions, she gives him actions.

When their parents moved out two years ago, she stayed so that Finnick wasn't so alone and didn't get into any trouble. Only three years his senior, she acts with the wisdom of an elderly lady when he is in a particularly bad mood.

"Finn, if you need anything, let me know." Marina smiles at him and makes her way to her bedroom after saying "Oh, and no more sitting by the ocean during a storm, 'kay?" Finnick chuckles and grabs a seaweed cookie from the decorative platter. His parents and sister know about his...services for the people of the capitol. Snow had sent him a letter after the death of his Uncle telling him to show up next time, and when Finnick was gone for a week with no reply his father had found the letter crumpled up in his room and talked to him as calmly as he could.

"What is this?" His father, Wallace, had asked him. He showed Finnick the crumpled paper.

"Exactly what it says." Finnick replied.

"It says 'Mr. Odair, please do not fail to be in attendance for your next appointment. Your services are in high demand, and I dislike my citizens being unhappy. Before you think of not showing up, please remember those dearest to you. We wouldn't want another lamented Odair on our hands, now would we?'" He took a deep breath.

"'I hope to see you soon, President Corailanus Snow.' Now i'm not quite sure what this means, son. What does he mean by services? And your uncle?" Finnick looked up at his father and explained, tears streaming down his face. He told him about the first letter, the one that came on his 16th birthday, when he was finally of age. He told his father about how when he went to the capitol that week Snow told him about what he would have to do.

And how when he refused his uncle died a week later, in a house fire, with a white rose placed delicately in the middle of the home.

Finnick had never seen his father so angry. The older man was spewing profanities about Snow, and how as if sending these kids into death wasn't enough, he had to whore them off. He flinched when his father used the term 'whore'. The older man noticed his son's hurt expression and apologised, saying that it wasn't his fault, how he did a noble thing and how he wished that there was another way.

"So do I" He remembers saying.

* * *

"Anais Cresta! You get back here right away!" The young brunette ran along the coast as her mother called for her to come back. She had stolen a seaweed cookie from her mother then made a run for it laughing all the way.

"Nah, I think I like it over here!" She yelled back, grinning. Deciding that it wasn't worth it she made her way back to her mother's side, giving her a hug, and saying sorry. Not that she meant it, they were her favorite cookies and she was hungry. Her mother shook her head goodnaturedly and giving her daughter the cookie back.

"Don't spoil your lunch, though." She warned.

"I won't. God, mom, what am I? A toddler?"

"Wouldn't surprise me. Now shove it in your mouth and help me with the nets, Annie." The brunette sits down on the beach with her mother chewing the cookie and weaving the net in her hands. She looks up at her mother and the ocean, and she never wants this to change, never wants to leave home.

People in the districts rarely get what they want.

* * *

Two weeks later, everyone is getting ready for reaping day and Finnick feels sick. It's only when Mags puts a hand on his shoulder and a sugarcube in his hand that he feels a bit better. They were chosen as the mentors for this years games, and Finnick doesn't want to see more children die.

His stylist puts him in a casual suit, making it clear that his is wealthy, but not standing out too much. He wears his hair mussed in a way that makes people swoon, with his signature playboy grin. He's got his capitol face on; He is no longer the boy from the districts who likes to swim with his friends on the weekends and go fishing with his parents. He is now the desirable young man with eyes made of the ocean and looks that made gods jealous. He is now Finnick Odair, object of the Capitol's undying affection.

He looks over to his stylists three assistants, who are all fanning themselves and making googly eyes at him. He winks at them, falling into character. He has mastered the art of seduction by now, and uses to his advantage sometimes, but it works best in the Capitol.

The peacekeepers escort him and Mags onto the stage along with the mayor and a few other officials. Finnick looks at Mags, who just has this pained expression on her face as she watches all of the children in the audience, knowing that two of them are about to face certain death. Taking her hand, he tells her things will be okay, but he himself doesn't even know that. He takes a deep breath as the escort comes to the stage and doesn't let go of Mags' hand.

The escort stands tall in her towering heels, shaped like sea shells. She looks around the audience and smiles. "Welcome to the reaping for the 70th annual Hunger Games! First let us listen to the national anthem and watch the beautiful film made by the capitol." The video reminding the people of the rebellion is shown and the escort wipes at a fake tear.

"So touching." She says. Then walking over to the bowl on her left, she announces 'Ladies firsts!' and sticks her hand in procuring a white folded piece of paper. A collective breath is taken in by the audience.

"Anais Cresta"

The girl in the seafoam colored dress and traditional District 4 plaits makes her way to the stage after her initial shock. She is on the older side, either 17 or 18, and made it obvious to anyone and everyone watching that she was beautiful and would be remembered for that alone. Mags could practically hear the clients' offers. It made her sick.

The young girl stands tall on the stage, body showing no fear, eyes showing the opposite.

"Any volunteers?" when no one came up the escort walked to the other bowl. There were no female volunteers from district four that year.

"Now for the gentlemen." The escort, Elmas, announced. She stuck her sparkly hand into the large bowl and plucked out a name.

"Percival Clarich"

A boy with sand colored hair and brown eyes comes up to the stage with no emotion in his eyes. Elmas smiles and announces their names one more time and then leads them to the rooms where they will get to say their final goodbyes.

One, if not both of them will be dead within weeks.

* * *

This is a short one but it's more of a trial. Tell me what you guys think so far. I have a bit more written already but I'd like to get some feedback before going all out with this story. Reviews mean a lot! :D


	2. The Train

**A/N: Here it is. Chapter two of Seaweed Cookies! It's a bit shorter than I hoped but I hope you guys like it.**

Saying goodbye was never Mera's strong suit. So when she had to say goodbye to her youngest child and only daughter, there was little else she did but cry. Cupping Annie's face in her hands, she told her daughter to use all of those fishing trips with her brothers and father to her advantage. To use her net weaving abilities to her advantage, to do whatever she could to come back home. Mera reached around her neck and unclipped the necklace there. Putting it in Annie's hands before the peacekeepers escort her out.

Her three older brothers came in together somehow, and held her for most of the two minutes they were allowed. When the peacekeepers opened the door, her youngest brother, Alec, smiled at her and said, "Just keep on swimming, Mermaid". It was a nickname she had since she was six.

When she was younger, her family had gone to a secluded beach that had run in her family. She, like most other District 4 children, loved to swim and had frightened her parents by staying under the water for an extended period of time. Her mother, being an extremely strong swimmer, went in after her, only to find Annie examining some coral under the water. When she noticed her mother she just smiled, then got dragged back to the surface.

"Anais Cresta! You scared us half to death!" Her mother said, holding a six year old Annie.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see the pretty coral down there!" the little girl said innocently. Her mother brought her back to the shore, where her father scooped her up and made sure she was okay.

"How is she still alive!?" Her oldest brother, Mathias, who was 12 at the time, asked no one.

"What do you mean?" Annie asked. Her big green eyes confused.

"Annie, you were under the water for five minutes!" Mathias told her. She didn't really see the significance of that because she felt like she could have held her breath for another five minutes if her mother hadn't gotten her.

"She's something like a mermaid, isn't she?" Dylan, the middle brother, said smiling. He had always been the most lighthearted of all of them and made everyone smile. Coming out of the memory, she looked up to see her father come in. He sat down on the ornate couch with her and took her hands in his.

"I believe in you Anais. You can do this, don't cry." He told her tenderly.

"But I don't want to kill, dad." Annie said, eyes threatening to become the ocean they resembled.

"Annie, look at me starfish," He cupped her cheeks, looking her in the eyes, "Believe in yourself. Believe that you can come home. Don't let yourself fear the games, make them fear you."

"But how, dad?!" Annie broke out of the hold. She couldn't make anyone fear her, she was just the pretty girl from district 4. "I'm just a... a mermaid. Who would scared of one of those?!"

"I think you're forgetting that mermaids are not all sweet and innocent. No matter how much we wish they were." Her father smiles, that last part is directed at her, and continues. "Legends say that mermaids lure in sailors with their beauty and enchanting voices to cause shipwrecks. They are dangerous, but look the opposite. You need to use that, Annie."

"I should use my looks?" Annie asks sniffling.

"Yes, mermaid. If that's what you need to do to stay alive. Use your beauty and your knowledge of net weaving and fishing. Make them love you, look how well it worked for Finnick." Her father reasoned.

"But he's Finnick Odair, there's no doubt that he's handsome." She said.

"How can anyone look at you and not see your beauty, mermaid?" he gave her another hug before the peacekeepers opened the door.

"Talk to your mentor! Tell them about it! WIN, ANNIE, WIN!" He yelled as he got dragged out of the room.

Annie was left alone for a few minutes, she had expected her friends to visit her but figured that she wouldn't be allowed too many visitors. Elmas came in through the door and escorted her and Percival to the car that was parked outside. Peacekeepers stood in front of it and helped them into the car. Two more were driving and half an hour later she found herself waiting in District 4's only train station. It was bigger and prettier than she imagined. The golden train rolled to a stop in front of them, captivated by its beauty, both her and Percival hadn't made a move for it until Elmas chuckled and motioned toward it.

"Come on, Finnick and Mags will be here shortly." As if by magic, Mags and Finnick came through the archway and onto the platform. Both wearing what they had been at the reaping ceremony. Finnick wearing dark blue pants, with a light blue button up, and a beige blazer. Mags had on a pretty floral green dress that came to her ankles, and her ever-present smile.

"And here they are! Come now, let's get in, shall we?" Perky as ever, Elmas practically bounced in her sky-high shoes walking into the train.

"Ladies first." Percival shrugs, motioning for her to go first.

"Thank you." She smiled, walking up the steps and onto the train.

The train was gold and Annie couldn't even have imagined the furniture and decorations in her wildest dreams. Elmas gestured to the chair next to her as she smiled. The chair Annie sat down in was quite comfortable and the color reminded her of the ocean on a stormy day. The rest of the party came in after her, all taking seats in the sitting area with her and Elmas.

"I'm Finnick, and this is Mags. This year we were chosen as your mentors." the young man with reddish-blonde hair said, holding out a hand. Both tributes shook his hand. He was handsome, but deadly. Then again, so was the innocent looking old woman sitting next to him. And maybe soon, Annie would be too. She didn't like the thought of that.

"Do either of you have any skills that would come in handy?" He asks casually, as if this is a picnic or business negotiation. To him, though, it probably is, Annie thinks bitterly.

"We can both swim, which many other tributes can't do, right?" Percival says. "I'm pretty strong and I have good aim."

"Decent or good?" Finnick asks, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"Good, maybe even a bit better." Percival answers.

"Okay, and you?" Finnick looks at Annie. One ankle crossed over the other, hands in her lap, and sitting like a lady, he thinks that the capitol will love her. He saddens, knowing what happens to pretty girls like her when they win. Or rather, what happens to pretty victors, period.

"I weave a sturdy net, and pretty quickly too. I'm good at catching fish and deep diving, but that won't really help of there's no water." She says.

"There will almost always be water. The capitol doesn't like it when most of the tributes die from natural causes like hypothermia or desert induced dehydration. On the off chance that there is no water, you'll be able to use your looks for sponsors. Come to think of it, both of you, right Ladies?" He asks Mags and Elmas. Mags nods, smiling at the two tributes.

"Oh, of course!" Elmas says clapping her hands. "They both look like gems! Or pearls, if you want to be District appropriate!" There's delight all over her face, as if they aren't discussing Annie and Percival's potential fate, but instead a beauty contest.

Oh great, Annie thinks, they agree with her father.

Mags mumbles something at Annie, but no one understands her. No one except for Finnick, who just smiles and agrees with Mags.

"What?" Percival asks, more at Finnick than Mags. Finnick is about to say something before Mags grabs his forearm.

"Mm her… made" Mags says again. Percival and Elmas still look like they don't understand, and Finnick is about to tell them when Annie speaks up.

"Mermaid?" She asks. Mags nods smiling at her with Finnick. Elmas looks even more delighted now that she understands. Annie just can't believe how much they agree with her father. She hasn't even told them about his plan yet.

"She does looks like a mermaid, doesn't she?!" Elmas is bouncing in her seat from excitement. "The capitol is going to love you. And once they see just how attractive, both of district 4's tributes are they won't be able to get enough!" Finnick has this look in his eyes, like he knows something she doesn't. Annie looks at Percival next to her. He's looking at her too and they shrug at each other.

"There's no denying that you two will be the hottest tributes in this year's games, if not in game's history! Except you, Finnick!" Finnick smiles at Elmas' comment, but Annie can't tell if it's genuine or not.

"So, that's what I'm going to do? Play the pretty girl next door?"

"Maybe. You still have a week to decide what angle you want to play. But right now let's focus on what you can do." He says. "Can either of you light a fire or climb a tree?" Both of them nod.

"Well it's good you know the basics." He looks between the two of them. "You both look about ready to cry. C'mon have some lamb stew, it helps with the nerves." He says with an empathetic smile. Annie thought she had concealed her fear pretty well. Finnick must be good at reading into people. All of them walk to the dining table and the avoxes bring out steaming dishes of food Annie doesn't recognise right away. Elmas sits at the head of the table and picks at her plate.

"Anais, darling your hair is simply beautiful, if only there was more sparkle to it!" Elmas says, her shimmering pink taloned hands flapping about. Her matching pink hair is pulled up in a style that Annie imagines must be very uncomfortable and time-consuming.

"Thank you, Elmas, but you can call me Annie." she corrects, kindly. Elmas beams at her, it's not every year that she gets such a pretty and inviting tribute. Everyone talks a bit more before finishing up their food.

"We'll be in the capitol tomorrow, so wash up and get a good night's rest!" Elmas instructs Percival and Annie down the corridor of the train to their rooms. Inside of the big room, Annie sees a very comfortable looking bed and clothes laid out atop it for her.

She looks into the closet and sees even more clothing for her to wear. Walking into the bathroom, she sees the towels hung neatly on the rack and strips her clothing, walking into the shower. She's not sure exactly what all the buttons do but she presses the one with the blue dots coming from something resembling a shower head. The cold water that meets her is very much not welcomed. With a loud scream she scrambles out of the shower and tries to close the cold water, with little success.

She hears someone calling her name and coming through her door and the voice sounds like it belongs to a man. Her eyes widen. Finnick. She grabs a towel from the rack- it's warm- and wraps it around her body in time to allow some modesty before Finnick barges in, looking around to help. When he sees Annie, wet, shaking, and clinging to a towel that's been haphazardly placed around her with the cold water still running, he laughs.

"Hey! Get out, and stop laughing!" Annie snaps, a blush on her cheeks. Finnick composes himself enough to look at her then bursts into laughter again. Once he regains his composure, he reaches behind her and turns off the water. She pouts, why couldn't she do that?

"Everyone from the districts has a hard time adjusting to these showers." He says smiling fondly. Pointing to a few buttons he tells her which buttons do what and once she grasps how to control this contraption before she shoos him out.

Finnick turns around, takes her in, then winks before shutting the door. She can't help the blush that comes to her cheeks. Stepping back into the shower she presses the button that squirts shampoo onto her hands. She washes up the rest of her body and even conditions her hair then steps out of the golden shower. Pulling a warm towel around her body, and one around her hair, she goes back into her room to change. From the windows in the room she can see it's become dark out, and a glance at the clock says it's about 9:30 pm.

The pajamas they have set out for Annie were a pair of silk cream-colored shorts with a white lace trim, and an identical button down top. There were slippers and a matching robe next to them as well. After getting dressed and drying her hair, she climbs into the plush bed. It's extremely comfortable but she can't sleep. She can only think of her parents and her brothers, of the life she could've had if she hadn't been chosen. It was her last year and of course she would get reaped.

A little while later, the train suddenly comes to a stop and Annie climbs out of bed. The clock tells her it's 3:00 am and she leaves the room to see what's happened. She closes her door quietly and makes her way down the dark hallway, then hits something that feels suspiciously like a back.

That's because it is.

Squinting in the dark she can only make out a tall silhouette and sea green eyes. The figure walked to the wall and felt around for something. Annie heard a flick and suddenly the lights came on. Standing by the wall was Finnick Odair in nothing but a pair of silk blue pajama pants, a matching robe, and some slippers. Annie notices the lack of scars on his chest and remembers the bad gashes he had gotten in the arena.

"Like what you see?" He smirks.

"No, I mean you're handsome, of course! But I just…" He's smiling and she blushes again, "Your chest, there aren't any scars. I just remember you getting a few in your games." There's a change in his eyes and he looks down at his chest, nodding.

"They wouldn't let me keep them." He says quietly, and she doesn't really catch what he says.

"What was that?" She asks the victor.

"Capitol medicine. Great isn't it?" Finnick says instead. His eyes no longer show the slight anger they did before, now it's just… nothing. No emotion, a fake smile.

"Yea." She agrees. Changing the subject Annie asks, "What are you doing up? It's three in the morning."

"Couldn't sleep." Finnick says. "What about you?"

"I couldn't sleep either. So I figured, when the train stopped I should stretch my legs, maybe investigate." Annie tells him.

"There's not much to investigate, miss Cresta." Finnick says, "The train stopped for some fuel, apparently it didn't have enough when we left district 4."

"Oh."

"Wanna go outside?" Annie looks up at him confused.

"I thought we weren't allowed to."

"It'll only be in the station. Besides, what are we gonna do? Make a run for it?" He laughs but Annie gets a distinct feeling that he might be contemplating it. She shakes the thought from her head, blaming it on lack of sleep.

"Okay then, if you're sure we can." He holds out his hand and she takes it.

They walk out onto the platform in their pajamas and sit on a bench, breathing in the city air. They're in district 8, where there are apartments and factories. There are a few lights in the distance and Annie feels slightly homesick. When the train official sees them he yells at them to get back in the train. Finnick puts himself in front of Annie and calms the official down, saying they just wanted some fresh air and that it was his idea. They all get back in the train, but Annie still doesn't feel like sleeping. Finnick takes her hand and motions to a door. Annie feels just a little nervous being in only her thin pajamas and a robe, thinking that if Finnick tries to pull something, she won't be able to match his strength. What he does, however, is bring her to the back of the train where there is a big window around the room. They sit down and watch as the train pulls away from district 8.

* * *

**A/N: The of Annie's brothers are as follows:**

**Mathias- 24**

**Dylan- 22**

**Alec- 20**

**Her parents are in their early 50's.**


	3. Constellations

**AN/: This chapter is a lot shorter than I wanted it to be at only 1000-ish words, but it's late and I just really wanted to post something. Thanks to everyone who favorited/reviewed/followed this story! Keep it up! Reviews mean the world!**

* * *

"Nightmares?" Finnick asks. He isn't looking at Annie, and the word comes out of nowhere.

"What?" She asks him. He turns to her, finally looking away from the night sky.

"Were you not able to sleep because of nightmares?" He clarifies with sympathetic eyes.

"...No, uh… It was more due to…" She can't find the right words to describe it. Luckily Finnick has a few of his own.

"Anxiety? Nerves? The lamb stew?" He smiles at her, effectively calming her a bit. She laughs and he laughs along with her, feeling better than he did an hour ago.

"I had a nightmare, that's why I was up." He tells her. He's staring at the stars again, and maybe it's a four thing because they teach kids in four from an early age to look at the stars when they get lost. Maybe Finnick's lost. "So, if you do ever have a nightmare, I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

"Thanks, but you don't have to. I don't want you to feel obliga-"

"Hey, I'm you mentor! It's what I'm here for." He looks her in the eye, and for a minute she forgets to breathe because, _damn,_ his eyes really _are_ the color of the sea. Annie is suddenly feeling very homesick. "I'm here to help you _win_." His gaze flickers down to her lips and Annie didn't realize how close they had gotten.

"Uh… I thought Mags was my mentor and that you were Percival's?" She asks leaning away. She doesn't need things getting awkward between her and Finnick before she gets sent off to her death.

"In four we team up. We're both your mentors, and Percy's." Finnick says, putting his hands behind his neck. He doesn't look awkward, or bothered, or upset that she moved away, just indifferent. Maybe he always looks like he's going to kiss people.

"Percy? I didn't think he'd like being called that."

"He doesn't."

She cocks her head at that, confused as to why he'd call someone something that they didn't like. He grins at her. Then he laughs, and so does she. Annie doesn't really know why she's laughing, but Finnick's laugh is contagious and she blames it on the lack of sleep.

"I'm only kidding, he doesn't mind. I think Percival makes him feel older, maybe more intimidating. That'll help him in the games, for sure." Finnick tells her.

"He's came up with his strategy?" Annie asks.

"You came up with your's yesterday, Cresta."

"I'm aware of that, _Odair_." Annie quips. "I was merely asking a simple question."

"And I was merely refreshing your memory." Finnick smirks and turns back to the stars with this forlorn look in his eyes that he doesn't express with the rest of his face. He sighs quietly, and Annie wonders if he knows that she's sort of staring at him.

"It's not polite to stare." He doesn't take his eyes away from the sky, just smirks and adds, "Even if the person you're staring at is as _devilishly handsome_ as me."

"You've got quite the ego there, Odair. How does it all fit in that _devilishly handsome_ body of yours?" Annie teases. She feels a bit more at ease with Finnick now that he isn't staring at her in a towel and laughing at her.

Finnick laughs and it shows in his eyes. Annie thinks that it's the first time she's seen him genuinely look happy. She decides that she likes seeing Finnick Odair happy, really, truly happy. He seems young and… _free_. A type of freedom that seems to have been stripped from him. She wonders what kind of problems the carefree victor with the entire country pining over him could have.

"It sounds a lot better when a pretty girl like you says it." He smirks as she blushes lightly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and looks at the stars.

"I forgot a lot of the constellations." Finnick actually knows most of the constellations by heart, but he can see Annie from the corner of his eye as she connects the shapes with her eyes, and he wants to talk to her some more. She is pretty and if she makes it out of the arena, he'd like to get to know her better, but for now, with the threat of death looming over her head, he can't risk falling for anyone. Her beauty is what would also make her Snow's next target; Selling her off to spend the night with the highest paying stranger. He doesn't want her, no, _anyone_ to have to go through that kind of experience.

"I forgot that you dropped out of school at 14. And being a victor doesn't require you to know constellations by heart." He had dropped out at 14, yes, but he hadn't stopped learning. Finnick liked to read the books in the library when he got bored and the weather wouldn't allow him to swim or go out in the water. Annie moves closer to him and points at a star.

"You know that one?" She asks.

"Polaris. The north star, it's across from Ursa Major and at the end of Ursa Minor." He doesn't even look at the sky because he can see the direction of her arm and he was just staring at it wondering if maybe he really _could_ find home if he followed it.

"You lair! You still remember them don't you?!" Annie is smiling at him and he just waggles if eyebrows and smiles back. She points at another constellation and he guesses it right again. After an hour or so of naming constellations, which both of them seem to be exceptionally good at, Annie yawns and rests her head atop Finnick's shoulder. They keep up their game of guessing and naming stars until they fall asleep, Annie's head on Finnick's shoulder and Finnick half-lying, half-sitting on the couch.

That's how Mags finds them in the morning when she gets up to watch the sunrise.


	4. Of Pirates & Mermaids

**A/N: This story now acts as a prequel to the other one I'm working on which is on hiatus, called "The Odds Were Never in Our Favor". In that story Annie has recovered from her PTSD because she never saw her District partner beheaded, which I think is the catalyst that drove her to become unstable. I like how this chapter turned out, but it could have been longer.**

**If you guys care, I imagined Emmy Rossum as Annie while reading the books, so that's what I'm going with here. I normally don't choose live action versions but if any of you wanted a visual, there you go! Annie is 18 in this story and Emmy was 18 during Phantom of The Opera, so look that up if you want.**

**Enjoy, and keep up the reviews! :D**

* * *

Annie opens her eyes to a sea of colors. Pinks, oranges, blues and the stars are still hanging in the sky. She yawns, stretching her arms out and she hits a face. Finnick is lying on the couch, one arm hanging off the side, head tilted back on the armrest, fast asleep. She pokes him and when he doesn't budge she leaves him to go shower.

Her room is pleasantly warm even when she strips down to shower. After hitting a wrong button, she gets a large amount of raspberry shampoo dispensed onto her hands and spends the next hour trying to remember how to work the damn contraption. After drying her hair she finally fishes out a polka dot mint dress with a triangle cut out of upper back from the closet. She ties the ribbon in the front and the other ribbon to bring the triangle cut out together, and ties her hair up in a high ponytail, her curls reaching her shoulder blades. She puts on some flats then walks to the dining cart.

"Mornin'... Annie" Mags mumbles loud enough for Annie to jump back and clutch her chest.

"Mags! You scared me!" Annie says, taking a seat next to the old woman. "what time is it?"

"Eight." Mags says. She has a steaming cup in her hand, and Annie can't help but ask what it is. "Hot... Chalk, late"

"Hot… _Chocolate_?" Annie inquires. It definitely smells like chocolate. She remembers having it once as a kid. District 4 is able to afford some things that the higher numbered districts can't. She's heard stories about how they are all starving while in 4 everyone has enough to eat. They don't live like the Capitol, but they get by. Mags nods and stands up to get Annie a cup. Mags fiddles with some buttons on the machine, then brings Annie the steaming liquid.

"It tastes just like it did when I was younger, except even better." Mags beams at her, glad that Annie likes the drink.

"Y'know, it's rude to sneak out the morning after." Both women turn to see Finnick leaning against the door frame that Annie came through. Mags turns to Annie and smirks, arching an eyebrow mischievously.

"We feel asleep on the couch after we talked about stars, Finnick."

"So last night meant _nothing_ to you?!" Finnick exclaims with mock heart-break. Annie rolls her eyes, sipping her drink. Finnick takes a seat next to her once he's gotten some food, and chuckles. He's still in his pajamas, or lack of , when Elmas comes in with Percy.

"Good morning, darlings!" Elmas greets them all with a wide smile and looks almost _too_ happy. "We'll be in the Capitol in a few hours." She sits down and puts half a muffin on her plate.

"Oh_ joy_." Percy says with a sarcastic smile. Finnick chuckles but Elmas seems to not catch the sarcasm, or if she does, ignores it.

"Oh, you two will just love it! If only you could enjoy it longer." Elmas sighs.

"I think District 4 has a pretty good chance at winning this year." Finnick tells Elmas. He spreads butter on some toast then chops down. Elmas smiles at him, then turns to the tributes.

"Well, if one of them wins, they'll certainly be some of the prettiest victors!" Elmas says admiringly, "Both of you are so stunning, oh, it'll be a shame when one or both of you dies."

Annie can see Percy get shaking next to her, though she thinks it's due to anger more than fear. "_such a shame_." he says before taking a bite of his croissant. Annie puts a pancake on her plate and some fruit before pouring syrup onto it. She had pancakes a few times before; her mother would make them on her birthday. Mags gets up saying she wants to do something that Annie can't understand.

Once everyone finishes eating Elmas tells them to get dressed and ready. Percy comes back out a few minutes later, showered and dressed in a button-down shirt the same color as Annie's dress with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of navy colored pants. Finnick and Mags come out a few minutes later, both of them also wearing the mint color of Annie's dress.

"Team." Mags says, and Annie understands that they wore mint to look like a team.

"I only wore what was on my bed." Percy says.

"Who do you think put it there?" Finnick says, pointing at Mags. The old woman beams up at all of them, and the train pulls into the station. Annie and Percy go to the window's, captivated by the strangeness of the Capitol citizens. Annie brings up a hand to wave back at them, not knowing what else to do, and Percy does the same.

"They look so weird." Percy says to his mentors, still waving and smile still on his face.

"They naturals!" Elmas claps her hands, looking proud.

The District 4 team gets escorted off of the train and to the remake center, but not without facing crowds of photographers. Annie smiles as much as she can, but the bright flashing lights are a bit much. Percy smiles from time to time, but still looks imposing and tough. Peacekeepers bring them through the archway which leads to the big double doors of the remake center. There, Mags brings Annie to her room and Finnick brings Percy to his.

"No resist." Mags tells her. Annie nods her head and the door opens, revealing three people all looking as ridiculous as the people Annie had seen she the train pulled into the station.

"HI! Oh, you're just _gorgeous_!" the woman with short purple curls and dark skin greets her with exaggerated gestures.. The woman gives her a hug and then introduces herself. "I'm Viorica, and this is Woto," she points to the man with the bright yellow knot of hair on his head, who smiles bedazzled teeth at Annie. "

"And this is Hyplo." The other man, with artificially green eyes, and equally green lips waves pleasantly.

"Which of you is my stylist?" Annie asks warily. Mags has left the room and she feels worried being alone with these strange people.

"Oh, sweetie! We're your prep team!" Hyplo says, "We get you ready before Tallulah, your stylist, comes in and, well, styles you!"

"...okay…"

"You'll need to take off your clothing, so we can scrub you down and rid your body of all that hair." Woto says, shaking his head. Annie wonders for a second if they mean the hair on her head as well, but Mags said not to resist.

"You can change in the other room." Viorica says, handing her a towel to cover herself up. Annie takes it and walks into the small room. The artificial light is overwhelming at first but she gets used to it. She strips down and doesn't see the point of the towel anymore, since they are going to be seeing her naked anyway. People are half-naked in District 4 all the time, what with the heat and all the swimming. She walks out, her mother's necklace still around her neck and hands Viorica the towel with a tight-lipped smile.

"You should probably take that off." Viorica tells her.

"Can you put it somewhere safe? It's my token." Annie says.

"Of course!" Viorica puts the necklace in a small box and goes to put it in another room.

When she comes back the three guide Annie to the shower-like thing in the corner of the room. They slather a gritty foam all over her body, which she's sure has taken a good layer or two of skin off along with the dirt once they wash it off.

Once they dry her off, they sit her down at a chair with a small sink behind it, then Hyplo starts to wash her hair, putting all different types of concoctions into it, while Woto and Viorica work on turning her finger and toenails into uniform shapes. Once they're done, they lay Annie down on the cot in the center of the room and start putting a waxy substance on her legs, arms, torso, and underarms. They even put some on her nether regions, which makes her twitch uncomfortably.

"Uh, can I ask what this is?" Annie asks.

"It's wax. It gets rid of your hair." Woto tells her, putting paper on the wax.

"How?"

"Well, we put the wax on, then some of these paper strips," He holds on up before putting it on her leg and pressing down, "Then we wait just a _tiny_ bit, and we," He grabs the top of the paper and in one hard, swift, downward motion, rips it off parallel to her skin.

"SHIT!" She normally doesn't curse too much, but she'll let it slip from time to time, and this is as good a time as any.

"Sorry!" Woto apologizes quickly. "We have to! Don't worry, it'll get easier!" He assures her. She bites her lip and stays quiet for the rest of the process.

The three of them make quick work of the waxing process and when Annie looks at the clock she sees she's been here for three hours. They apply a lotion that stings at first but soon soothes the raw skin that has been tugged at. Stepping back, they admire their work and clap with delight.

"You look even prettier now!" Woto squeals. "I'll call in Tallulah!"

"She is such a classic beauty! What I wouldn't give for those cheekbones!" Hyplo sighs, on the verge of tears. He's shaking his head and smiling, so Annie assumes that he's crying of joy, apparently pleased with his work.

"Yes, but look at her eyes! So big and beautiful!" Viorica argues, gesturing towards Annie's eyes.

"Yes, yes, but her lips are obviously what will enrapture the sponsors! They'll cling onto everything she says!" Woto insists.

"I think that it's a combination of the three." A woman with knee-length lilac hair that come down in waves says, holding the door open for the three. "You three did a wonderful job, you may leave now." She tells them. The woman walks up to Annie and observes her, scanning her eyes over every inch of Annie's body.

"I'm Tallulah, you stylist." she holds out a hand that Annie shakes. Tallulah is young for a stylist, maybe in her mid to late twenties and hands Annie her robe.

"Why don't you follow me into the other room and we'll talk over lunch?" Tallulah smiles. She leads Annie through a frosted glass door which leads to two mauve velvet couches with a chunky coffee table in between. Tallulah sits down across from Annie and presses a button on the side of the table, which causes the top to split open and another tabletop to bring up their lunch.

"I do hope you like chicken!" Tallulah says.

"Yes, thank you." Annie responds.

"Now, about your costume for the opening ceremonies," She begins. "My partner, Opin, is your District partner's stylist, and we were thinking of dressing you two up in complementary costumes." Please, not fish, Annie thinks, _please not fish_.

"Opin has being wanting to do this for years now but he's been waiting for just the right girl. Originally we were going to make you two some sort of odd fish, but when we saw you and, Percival was his name, right?" She asks.

"Yes."

"Well, when we saw you two we instantly knew that we had the perfect pair!" Tallulah takes a sip of her fizzy purple drink. "We fished out, sorry for the pun, these old costumes that he made_ years_ ago and I made some modern alterations based on your body shape and size, but you'll still fit into it like a glove!" She brings up a dark hand, covered in a thin layer of sparkles, to her hair, moving it from her face, and continues. "You'll love it!"

* * *

A few hours later, Tallulah puts the last of the pearls into Annie's hair and steps back to admire her work. She turns Annie around to face a large mirror, and the young woman gasps. There's perfectly pinned starfish in her hair and pearls on the seashell bra that Tallulah's put her in. On the side of her face, there are sparkles that reflect light and her eyelashes look even longer than normal. There's a thin layer of pink-tinted gloss on her lips and her long brown hair is in waves down her back with two fishtail braids at the top of her head, but nothing is as breathtaking as the beautiful mermaid tail they have her in. The blue, green, and purple scales reflect light and look so _natural_ that Annie mistakes herself for an actual mermaid for a moment. Rather than two fins at the bottom of the skirt, there are dozens of thinner ones that enable her to walk.

"You look absolutely stunning!" Tallulah wipes a tear from her eye. She pulls something out of a small box and Annie recognises it as her mother's necklace. "It fits the theme." Tallulah smiles, putting around Annie's neck. "Come now, let's get you to the bottom level of the Remake Center. It's essentially a gigantic stable."

She let's Annie hike up the skirt enough where she can walk, but won't wrinkle the fabric or cause scales to fall off. They meet Percival, Opin, and his team at the elevator, where they all look at Annie is awe. Opin comes up to her and puts his hands over his mouth.

"Oh, darling, you're exactly what I've been waiting for! You're perfect, you're a mermaid!" The older man squeals. He's crying and making a conscious effort not to hug her.

"That's what my father always told me. That I was a mermaid." Annie tells him when he calms down.

"Wise man!" Opin exclaims. Percy is dressed as a pirate, complete with a loose blouse, stereotypical pirate boots, and a hat. He even has an eyepatch. Annie thinks that it would've looked ridiculous on anyone else, but the quality of it is perfect and Percy has the dangerous but handsome look of a pirate that the Capitol will adore. They all climb into the elevator, which takes them down to the bottom level. They are some of the first to have arrived and Annie spots their chariot immediately. It looks just like the hull of a ship, there's even seaweed and barnacles on the bottom. Percy gets on first and helps Annie up, where Tallulah adjusts her mermaid tail.

"Oh my, don't you look as pretty as a pearl!" Elmas gasps. She takes a good long look at Annie and starts to cry. "It'll be such a pity if you die!" She redirects her attention to Percy and goes on about how dashing and strong he looks, telling him that the Capitol will adore them both.

A few moments later Mags and Finnick walk up to them and blink a few times. Finnick smells like perfume and Annie guesses that it's from one of his infamous lovers. Both are at a loss for words. Finnick breaks the silence as usual.

"Damn, Annie." He starts to laugh, "Wow!" he looks utterly astonished, as does everyone else. Annie blushes.

"Really?"

Mags nods her head frenetically, beaming up at the girl, She takes hold of Annie's hands and says "_So... pretty_!"

Finnick looks over at Percy and shakes his head, "You might just look better than I do!" Mags nods at his comment, letting go of one of Annie's hands to hold one of Percy's.

"Knock 'em… dead!" The old woman says.

The chariots start to line up and District 1 goes out first. The gem encrusted garments making them looks like millions of dollars, which is probably the price of them. District 2 looks as fierce and menacing as ever, dressed in bronze armor. District three isn't anything special, just the same odd silver headpieces adorning their heads. Then suddenly Tallulah and Opin shout out "Good Luck!" and the crowds of Capitol citizens are screaming and shouting and in _awe_ of the pirate and mermaid from district four. They look absolutely captivated by the two tributes and Annie hears their names being chanted, and there are flowers being thrown at them. Annie makes sure to catch one particularly pretty bouquet and smiles the entire way to the City Circle. Once all of the chariots are in the loop, the music stops and President Snow comes out on a balcony. Annie can see all of the tributes now and tries not to wince at District 12's costume, or lack of therefore. They are stark naked and covered only in black coal dust from head to toe._ On national television._ Annie just hopes that they are of age. Snow gives the welcome speech and then the Anthem plays as the chariots are brought to the training center by the highly trained horses. Once the doors close behind the District 12 tributes Annie and Percy are met by the cheerful faces of the prep teams and their mentors.

"You two were absolutely wonderful!" Opin exclaims and everyone agrees. Annie sees Finnick looking at her from her peripheral but when she meets his gaze, he looks away. She also notices the dirty looks that some of the other tributes are giving her and Percy, mostly her. But in the training center with a sudden surge of hope that she might actually be able to_ win the Hunger Games and go. back. home._

She doesn't care what they think.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Chariot times! The interviews are up next! Review please! And feel to PM me with any questions.**


	5. Career Day

**A/N: Apologies for posting this late. I've been sick for the past week and haven't been able to do, well, anything. I hope you enjoy this chapter, the next few are being written right now! Happy Holidays!**

* * *

The closet in her room is beyond her comprehension.

She sets it according to her personal preference and it produces light pink scallop hemmed shorts and a white blouse. She tucks the blouse under the high-waist of the shorts and slips on the white flats given to her. She ties her hair up in a ponytail, feeling it's soft texture.

The showers in the train were fascinating, but the ones in the apartment were even more so. They had even more shampoos, soaps, scents, oils, and massaging sponges than the ones on the train. She recalls stepping out of the shower and onto a mat that activated heaters that blow-dried her body. She had put her hand on a box that sent a current through her scalp that untangled, parted, and dried her hair almost instantaneously. Though the heated towels had come in handy for covering up.

Stepping out of the room she is greeted by Percy, closing the door to his room.

"Hey, Annie." He says. He seems less angry and more like the boy she had heard about, kind and funny. People from District 4 always knew how to have their fun.

"Hey, Percy. Do you smell that?" She asks. He sniffs the air and senses the faint smell of… he doesn't quite know, but it smells good.

"Yeah, I do. Let's go check it out." He takes her hand and brings her with him. As they approach the dining room they can see Elmas talking to Finnick, who seems half interested. Mags smiles at the two tributes.

"What is this?" Percy asks gesturing to the feast in front of them. he sits in the seat next to Finnick.

"Lamb stew." His mentor says. In 4, there isn't much red-meat, but there's_ tons_ of seafood. It's no surprise that neither tribute eats the seafood on the table.

"Oh, Annie you looked stunning, darling! Much like you do now!" Elmas says. She, like many other Capitol citizens, fell in love with Annie's costume for the tribute parade.

"Thank you, Elmas." Annie says kindly, from the seat next to Mags.

"I think we should talk about your strategy for the Games. You're going to be careers, right?" Finnick looks at the two tributes.

"Is that what's best for us?" Annie asks. She hadn't really put much thought into it before. The schools had provided very subtle training for the children, but it wasn't enough for Annie to know how to murder someone, only hold a weapon, or survive in nature.

"Well, for Percy, yes. If you aren't a career, they'll take you as a threat." Finnick looks at Annie, "For you… I think you could be a career as well. I know that district 2 doesn't think very highly of you right now, but I'm not sure about the rest. Let's see how you do in training tomorrow, okay?"

"Speaking of training, what should I even do?" She takes a bite of the cooked carrot on her plate.

"Both of you should try everything. Spend some time at each of the stations, but Annie, don't show exactly what your skills are. Show that you are capable, but not a threat. At least not yet. See if the careers are who you want to join, if you want to join them, show them everything you can do." Finnick says, waving his fork around.

Mags tugs on Finnick's sleeve and says something to him that the rest don't understand, as per usual. The victor's both turn to Percy and Finnick recites what Mags said.

"Mags wants you to show them what you can do. Get on their good side, make them see that they need you in the career pack." Mags again says something the rest don't catch, but Finnick translates the woman's slurred speech. "Don't provoke them, or threaten them. The element of surprise works wonders, that's how Mags and I won."

Finnick's right, he won his games by sticking with the careers and they never expected a fourteen year old boy to be able to take them all out. Annie doesn't know much about Mags' games, but she knows Mags is highly intelligent and light on her feet for an old woman. However, no one at the table addresses the biggest worry on the tributes mind's; when they will have to kill each other.

They eat the rest of the meal with light conversation, as there isn't much to talk about. After dinner everyone goes to their rooms and gets ready for bed. In the morning Annie and Percy will be heading for training.

Neither one of them is overly enthusiastic.

* * *

"Anais! Anais!" Someone shakes her but she still won't get up.

"Anais, let's go! You can't be late for training!" It's Tallulah, hair dyed a sunset orange that reminds Annie of home. Stretching herself out, Annie gets up and looks down at the clothing Tallulah has set out for her; the clothes are all tight-fitting, the sea green t-shirt with her district number on each sleeve, the dark grey cloth jacket with her district number on the back, the matching pair of leggings with paneling on the sides, and the pair of athletic shoes.

"Go shower, and I'll get you ready." Annie does as Tallulah tells her, and within half an hour she is showered, dressed, and out her bedroom door.

"Go sit and eat something, I'll see what's taking Opin and Percy so long." Tallulah leaves Annie alone in the dining room, where an avox serves her some flaky bread and orange juice. She thanks the man and takes a serving of eggs too.

Percy comes to the table a minute later, smiles at the avox, then sits next to Annie, eating three helpings of scrambled eggs. She notices that he is wearing almost the same thing as she. There is a platter of traditional District 4 bread that Annie had missed and she takes one and gives another to Percy, who smiles at her in thanks. _I'm never going to be able to kill him_, she thinks. Once the two are done, Elmas comes out to escort them to training.

"Are Mags and Finnick still sleeping?" Percy asks.

"Mags is still sleeping, yes, bless that woman's soul. She's just so _old._" Elmas says fondly. "Finnick had some business to take care of." The thirty-something woman steps into the elevator once it 'dings' and the two tributes follow.

"Business?" Annie asks.

"Yes, business. He is your mentor, he can do whatever he pleases." Elmas tells them. She turns once the elevator doors open up to the training center. "Remember what Finnick told you, okay?" She looks at both of them and smiles, "Good luck!"

The gymnasium is enormous, nothing like the ones Annie's used to in 4. There are various stations set up with a multitude of weapons set up neatly. Most of the tributes are already there, with the exception of 7, 9, and 12. They all stand in a semicircle around a tall, athletic woman with dark skin. The remaining districts come a few minutes later and the head trainer, Atala, starts to explain how the training will work.

"There are experts at every station who will help you with the respective station you are at. You are free to roam and try every station. Some teach survival skills, while others teach fighting techniques. You are forbidden to engage in any form of combative exercise with any other tribute. If you wish to engage in such practices, we have assistants readily available." She then goes on to read the list of stations, and Annie allows herself to take a look at the other tributes.

There's a tall boy from 1 with red hair and green eyes that show an air of arrogance, the girl next to him has shoulder length red hair and matching freckles. They look like siblings and both look like winners. To their right are the tributes from District 2, the typical muscular, tall, intimidating boy and the short, athletic girl next to him with blonde hair and menacing dark grey eyes. These are the people Percy is going to team up with, and perhaps even Annie. Before she gets a look at all of the tributes, Atala blows her whistle, signalling for them to head to a station. Percy heads off to the Gauntlet first, he is the second one in line, after the girl from 2. Annie heads to the ropes course, nothing else really spiking her interest just yet.

She climbs up the wide rope ladder and extends one arm to grab the net hanging from the ceiling. There are various intertwined nets that hang down and little horizontal poles in the middle. She swings from the first few nets then hears the instructor say something.

"What?" She asks.

"Try getting on top of it." The man says.

Annie does as he says and lifts one leg to poke it through the net. She then grabs the other side of it and hoists herself up to the top of the net. The instructor gives her a thumbs up and she makes her way down the remaining ropes.

"You did very well in this station, good luck." He tells her with a monotonous voice.

She sees Percy doing very well at the Gauntlet and so do the careers. The boy from one whispers something to his district partner and she nods. Annie walks over to the hand-to-hand combat station, figuring that she could at least pick up a few things. The instructor, a muscular woman with pale skin, greets her and shows her the basics.

"Fighting stance." She says after about twenty minutes and Annie does as she's told.

The instructor throws a punch at Annie which she dodges and another one which she blocks. Annie throws a punch at the woman's stomach which gets blocked. Annie then kicks at the woman, but her leg is caught and twisted, not enough to hurt her, only to knock her off balance. Annie turns with it though and the woman lets go, then attacks Annie from behind, wrapping her arms around Annie's torso and lifting her from the ground. Annie panics for a moment then remembers to hook one leg around the instructor's and leave the other free, this way her attacker can't throw her. The young brunette pries off the hand that is around the instructor's wrist. Annie gets dropped to the floor and quickly resumes her fighting stance. After a few good punches and kicks, the instructor crouches down and kicks Annie feet out from under her before she can jump.

"Good job. You did much better than I expected." The instructor tells her. Annie wonders if that was supposed to cheer her up.

She hears the tributes from 2 laughing at her defeat from the spear throwing station so she walks over towards to station and once it's her turn, picks up a sizable spear. She knows that they are watching and Annie figures that her chances of survival are better if she joins them, so she does what Finnick told her and shows them exactly what she can do.

"Perhaps you should try this one." The instructor, a tall man with blonde hair, shows her a much smaller spear. He clearly doubts her, as do many other tributes, who Annie can see casually looking at her from her peripheral vision.

"No, thank you. I think I can handle this one." Annie tells him politely. The apprehension is clear on his face and she resists the urge to laugh. Her father had taught her a thing or two about spears and tridents on their fishing trips. Percy is standing next to the boy from 1 and Annie is happy for him, he's been accepted, now if only she could too.

She walks to the red shooting line and right as she is about to aim, she turns around. Annie flicks her wrist and two prongs jut out from the center of the spear, transforming it into a trident. She twirls it in her hand a bit and hears the girl from 2 tapping her foot, clearly impatient. Annie doesn't want to wait any longer herself, so she turns, aims, and throws the trident.

It hits the dummy straight in the heart.

Fatal.

Annie smirks, Percy claps, and the girl from 2 stops tapping her foot.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Annie is relaxing at the knot-tying station when she sees the small girl from 3 struggling to tie a relatively simple knot. She feels a pang of sympathy for the girl and scoots closer to offer some help. The instructor wasn't having much luck.

"You want to hold your hands like this. And just follow what I do, okay?" Annie demonstrates with her own hands and the girl with the dark skin and grey eyes looks startled at first then smiles.

"Thank you. I didn't realize it was that simple." The girl says once she's successfully tied the knot.

"No problem. I'm Annie, District 4." She scolds herself for saying her name, as the thought of potentially killing this little girl comes to her mind. She fights a cringe.

"Medee. District 3." Medee holds out a hand and Annie shakes it. The younger girl smiles at her and Annie _knows_ this was a bad decision.

"Lunch!" Atala yells.

Annie looks at the clock and sees that the time is noon and all of the tributes are making their ways to the adjoining cafeteria. Annie says goodbye to Medee, not allowing herself to linger in fear of the girl asking to sit with her. In any other circumstance, Annie would love to, but right now, she needs to think about survival. She remembers as a kid watching a victor from 8 saying during an interview that the games start once you get reaped and they never _really_ end. Annie remembers hearing about his death a few months later, allergic reaction, she thinks.

"Annie!" Percy calls her over to the table he is seated at. The careers are all next to him and they make no objection of adding Annie to their alliance. There is a multitude of food on the table, waiting for them to devour it. Annie takes the seat next to Percy and the girl from 2.

"I'm Megara, but you can call me Meg!" The redhead from 1 holds out her hand for Annie to shake and Annie introduces herself as well.

"I'm Anais, though, most people call me Annie." she smiles. The rest of the careers take this as a signal to introduce themselves.

"Max, district 1. Nice to meet you, babe." Meg's district partner reaches across the table to shake Annie's hand with a big smile and a friendly wink. If Elmas thought her and Percy were attractive, she would explode from looking at these two. Tributes from 1 tend to be more attractive, especially the careers, but this boy's smile makes Annie almost blush and giggle. He's close to Finnick level attractiveness, if that's even possible, but it's more due to his open, charming nature. Both had expressive, inviting eyes, big pearly smiles, and a light sprinkling of freckles. If Annie looked like a mermaid, Meg looked like a princess. The sweat on their brow's looked more like a glittering shine than gross sweat.

"Wyn. 2." Is all the boy from District 2 says. He doesn't look like much of a talker, but he sure looks like one hell of a fighter. He has muscles, and _a lot_ of them, and dark hair with ice blue eyes, which makes Annie wonder if the Capitol citizens will be able to handle the beauty of the careers this year. They are all stunning.

"Artemis. District 2. Don't call me Arty, like doofus over there." She points at Max and Annie catches the smirk he sends toward the blonde. She even catches the small one Artemis sends back. Artemis has an exotic look to her. She looks to be of mixed heritage with her naturally blonde hair that highly contradicts her olive skin tone and dark grey eyes.

"And I'm Percy." Annie chuckles at Percy, as he shakes her hand, acting like they are strangers.

"Nice to meet you, Percy. Where are you from?" Meg looks amused at their interaction, as does Max. Even Artemis and Wyn look slightly amused. Annie seems to be growing on them.

"District 4. Y'know, where all of the fish are?" Percy says.

"No way! Me too! How is it possible that I am just meeting you?!" Percy plays along. Their alliance seems to be entertained by the interaction. At least she might have some fun before she dies.

"I have absolutely no clue, darling!" His voice slowly fades into the Capitol accent, and Annie joins in.

"Well we've met now, haven't we?! Come let's bond over purple soup!" Megara outright laughs as the two district partners end their conversation, and Max looks on with a huge smile and a breathy laugh. The district 2 tributes look at them with small smiles, while shaking their heads.

"I'm liking you more already, 4" Artemis says, and Annie knows she's done it.

She's a career.

* * *

**A/N: Don't forget to review! **

**Also If anyone can correctly guess which characters Max, Meg, Artemis, and Wyn are based on and which show they are from, I'll write them an Odesta oneshot! (Be patient if you win!)**

**Happy Holidays!**


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